FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Michael Shaw]

Thank you Don. China has certainly been blessed with plenty of wonderful fluorite localities.

Today's post features the last of our specimens from the Huanggang Mine Complex.

[Michael Shaw]

With Inner Mongolia finished, next up is Jiangxi Province.

[Mike Wood]

Beautiful quartz specimen from Huanggang Mine No.2 Michael (2121Quartz.jpg), I don't think I've seen that kind of structure before on quartz - thanks for showing it to us.
Also your octahedral fluorite plate from De'an Mine, Wushan (1714Fluorite.jpg) is remarkable. I was wondering if you obtained it as it is shown or did you have it prepared, if you don't mind me asking? And what reagent was it etched with!? I would have thought that HF acid would dissolve fluorite, but I don't know what else would dissolve quartz...

Best regards, Mike

[Michael Shaw]

Thanks for your comments Mike. The habit for the quartz from the Huanggang mine is not new, but specimens like the one I posted are apparently not too common in dealer stock (at least at the shows that I attend). I picked this one up at the Denver Show this past Sept. and there were only 2 dealers that had specimens similar to this.

Regarding the De'an mine fluorite - I acquired it as shown. I assume it was prepared in HF as I know of no other reagent that will dissolve quartz. The dangers associated with using HF are well known, so best to let well-equipped labs prepare these specimens.

Regards, Michael

[Mike Wood]

"The dangers associated with using HF are well known, so best to let well-equipped labs prepare these specimens."

Absolutely. Thank you for your informative reply Michael.

Regards, Mike

[Michael Shaw]

Today's post will feature Sichuan Province, home of fragrant and spicy cuisine and panda bears. In the mid to late 1990s, the mines/prospects at Mt. Xuebaoding produced countless specimens of scheelite, aquamarine, and cassiterite as well as less common species such as kesterite and mushitonite. Unfortunately, mineral specimens from this locale have become relatively scarce on dealer shelves today.

[Don Lum]

Beautiful Scheelite, Michael.

[Michael Shaw]

Thanks Don. The scheelite is one of my favorites. I wish I had acquired a few more when there were so many to be had.

Today's post will finish up Sichuan Province with some odds and ends from locations other than Mt. Xuebaoding.

[GneissWare]

Very nice Chinese specimens. Xuebaoding is one of my favorite localities, but China has produced so many fine specimens and localities, of which you seem to be well represented.

[Mike Wood]

Amazing specimens Michael. I particularly like the Baryte on quartz (1170 Quartz.jpg) - never seen such a thing before !
Regards, Mike

[Pierre Joubert]

And Michael, I will have the Cassiterite https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/files/1045_cassiterite_2_595.jpg (1045 Cassiterite (2).jpg) :-)

[Michael Shaw]

Thank you Bob, Mike, and Pierre. We have been very fortunate to experience a wealth of fantastic specimens during the past 20 years, as the Chinese mineral market developed. It will be interesting to see if the future supply changes as large mining companies take over some of the smaller mines. For example, the recent issue of Min. Rec. noted that a commercial mining company has purchased the Jinlong Hill prospects, which had been worked by artisinal miners for specimens. The new owners will send all of the hematite to the smelters, and It is estimated that the site will be worked out in 3-4 months. Also, I wonder if shows such as the recent Changsha Show will kindle a more local interest in mineral collecting?

Michael

[Tobi]

A really interesting Baryte specimen, Michael https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/files/1257_Baryte_187.jpg (1257 Baryte.jpg); reminds me of the famous "Meißelspat" Barytes from Clara Mine in Black Forest.

Tobi

[Roger Warin]

Beautiful, Michael. I particularly like the look of cassiterite.
Roger.

[Michael Shaw]

Thank you Tobi and Roger. I'll have to see if they have any photos of the Clara Mine Barytes on Mindat, Tobi. I don't have any specimens from the Clara Mine in my collection.

Michael

[Michael Shaw]

With today's post, I will show the only mineral specimen in our collection from Xinjiang and start on Yunnan, the last of the Chinese provinces for which we have specimens.

The almandine from Xinjiang has a little story which I'll relate. About 20 years ago, our son had a Chinese classmate in school. We invited his family to our home for dinner one evening, and while talking about our interests, I showed them a few minerals including several from China. Later that summer, I received a call from the father. He said he had just returned from visiting his family in China and he had something for me. When we met, he gave me the 2 garnets pictured below and a "wind erosion stone" from Xinjiang. The latter was accompanied by a written description (in Chinese) of the 5 ornamental stones that the Chinese valued. While not catalogued in my collection, the wind erosion stone occupies a prominent place on my display shelf.

[Roger Warin]

Hello,
When I was a student, I was enthralled by the symmetry of garnets. It is a nice entry into crystallography.
Roger.

[Don Lum]

Michael, Viewing stone 2 ( https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/files/viewing_stone_2_176.jpg ) looks like a very special stone. I've never seen anything like it.

Don

[Mike Wood]

I too am enthralled by the 'wind erosion stone'. I love things like that. I'm sure your Chinese friend meant it as a very special gift. The two garnets are nice also.
Nice story Michael, thanks so much for sharing it.

Sincerely, Mike

[Michael Shaw]

Thanks for your comments Roger, Don, and Mike. At the time it was given to me, I didn't understand the full significance of the wind erosion stone. After reading the recent Mineralogical Record Supplement on Crystalline Treasures of China, I was surprised to learn of the immense interest in stones such as these. In case you don't take the MR, I will mention that there are millions of "viewing stone" enthusiasts in China. They even have a collector's magazine, a government-administered viewing stone organization, and viewing stone museums and parks. You hit the nail on the head Mike, this was clearly a special gift.

A few more from Yunnan Province today, and this will finish up our China collection.

Michael